August has turned out to be a month of celebration in the Johnson household. It all started with the 90th birthday celebrations of Magic’s mother, Christine Johnson. That was followed up by a community car show in Lansing, Magic’s hometown in Michigan, in honor of his father, Earvin Johnson Sr. “My love for cars comes from my father’s love for cars,” the Lakers legend had admitted. And to top it all off, on August 14, Magic Johnson celebrated his 66th birthday, amid a sea of heartfelt messages from friends and family.
“Sometimes I still pinch myself that a kid from Lansing, Michigan, has accomplished all of this in 65 years!” Magic had posted on his previous birthday. This time, it’s his wife, Cookie, who kept up the tradition with a heartfelt post for her husband. And the social media was soon filled with congratulatory messages for the 5x NBA champ.
Byron Scott, Magic’s teammate from the Showtime era and close friend, wrote, “Happy 66th Birthday to the best backcourt team mate and the greatest point guard of all time! You are my forever brother!” Scott had also added a carousel of throwback photos of the duo together from their playing days. The bond between the pair has grown even stronger since their days of sharing the hardwood.
Another Lakers legend, Pau Gasol, chimed in with a simple yet sweet, “Happy Birthday!!” along with a purple and gold heart to signify the Laker love. From establishing himself at Michigan State to solidifying his career with the Lakers, Magic Johnson’s journey has been nothing short of inspirational. Just ask Baron Davis. “Magic came up to me and said he wanted me to go to UCLA. He inspired me a lot, and that meeting gave me so much motivation.” Growing up in the South Central area of Los Angeles, Baron Davis credited the Lakers legend as his ‘mentor,’ as he was heavily influenced by Magic Johnson.
Phoenix Suns legend Eddie A. Johnson, who was Magic’s teammate during their young hooping days, narrated a very interesting story about the former Lakers star. The duo got to share the stage during the McDonald’s Parade All-American game. Recalling a moment from that game, Eddie revealed, “It was the best three minutes I’ve ever seen him play. I mean, he was Magic personified.” But what was this moment?
Magic was doing Magic stuff in the game, spraying around his signature ‘No-look’ passes and controlling the tempo of the game, like a quarterback. But the kicker? His teammates were struggling to grab the ball from his “No-look’ passes. Eddie recalled, “I say, why are you worried about what this guy’s saying? He’s never going to coach you…Forget about that, talking about you running down to the block and not bringing the ball up. And he looked at me. He’s like, yeah. And he got back in the game.” The Lakers legend did exactly that, and ran the play that he liked, and later even the coach had to apologize.
But the sweetest tribute that the Lansing native received on his big day, was from his wife of three decades, Cookie Johnson.
Cookie Johnson pays an emotional tribute to her husband, Magic Johnson
Last year, during this time, the couple was on their yacht. This time, they are back at home, and even though there is no scenic view to enjoy, they have each other’s company. The wife of the Lakers legend put it in words like no one else. “Happy Birthday to my love of 33 years and my best friend of 40! ” She started. To those who don’t know, theirs is a high school love story. Before they got together, there were rough times in the relationship, but the couple weathered through them and have now been married for close to thirty-five years
“I truly believe that God has brought us together, from our college days to raising three amazing kids, you’ve been the anchor of our family. I’m so grateful for every laugh, every challenge we’ve faced side-by-side, and every dream we’ve chased together. Here’s to more memories, more adventures, and more of the beautiful, ordinary moments that make life with you so rich. I love you beyond words. Happy Birthday, my forever,” Cookie wrote. Their story is even more romantic when you realize that the two stayed together during the hardest time.
VIPs Watch Detroit Pistons v Chicago Bulls – Paris Magic Johnson and his wife Cookie Johnson attend the NBA Paris Game 2023 match between Detroit Pistons and Chicago Bulls at AccorHotels Arena on January 19, 2023 in Paris, France. Photo by Laurent Zabulon/ABACAPRESS.COM Paris France PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxFRAxESPxUKxUSAxBELxPOL Copyright: xZabulonxLaurent/ABACAx 839000_030 ZabulonxLaurent/ABACAx 839000_030
courtesy : Imago
After just a couple of months of marriage, Magic Johnson announced his abrupt retirement from the sport. Reason? HIV, and he was just 32 years old at the time. He even gave Cookie an option to leave, but she chose to stick by him. That’s why the Lakers legend admitted to his wife’s strong support. “I think that if Cookie had left, I’d probably be dead now — no question about it.” Thankfully, she didn’t.
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